Pope Leo XIV Makes First Public Appearance After Lung Surgery, Leads Sunday Angelus and Says He Will Gradually Resume His Activities

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV led the Sunday Angelus at noon on October 18 from the window of his apartment in the Apostolic Palace, his first public appearance since undergoing lung surgery on October 13 and being discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on October 17. The 71-year-old pontiff appeared at the same window from which he had announced the surgery a week earlier, greeted the thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square in a firm, strong voice, and was met with loud cheers and applause.

After the prayer, the pope said the experience of the past week had brought him close to everyone living with illness. "I would like to thank all those who have prayed for me in recent days. I have truly sensed your support. This experience has made me feel particularly close to all those who are living with illness or infirmity. Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, I will gradually resume my activities — always with God's help and your prayers. Thank you once again," he said. He also expressed particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses and all the staff at Gemelli Hospital who had cared for him.

Leo had announced at the Sunday Angelus on October 11 that a routine check had found a nodule on his lung and that it would be surgically removed. On October 13, surgeons at Gemelli removed the lower lobe of his right lung, and pathology confirmed lung adenocarcinoma; the Vatican said the operation was successful and without complications. On October 17, his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and his surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, cleared him for discharge after blood tests and a chest X-ray — earlier than the roughly one-week hospital stay first expected.

According to Vatican News, Dr. Margaritora said the pope is recovering well and that there are no clinical reasons why his November 6–17 trip to Latin America should not take place. The itinerary includes Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, with a stop in Cusco, Peru, at about 3,350 meters above sea level. The pope announced no timetable for a full return on Sunday; the Holy See had previously cancelled his audiences through October 20. (GSM, based on reporting by CNN, the Associated Press and OSV News)

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：教宗良十四世本人（资料图，2026年3月25日摄于梵蒂冈圣彼得广场，当日现场照片均为通讯社版权图、暂无开放授权版本）。图片来源：爱沙尼亚外交部摄，CC BY 4.0（Wikimedia Commons）。Photo: Pope Leo XIV (file photo, March 25, 2026, St. Peter's Square, Vatican; same-day Angelus photos are wire-service images with no open-license version yet). Credit: Estonian Foreign Ministry, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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